DEA Numbers Definition and Construction

The DEA is known as the Drug Enforcement Administration, it is an agency within the United States Department of Justice. It was created during the controlled substances act of 1970. The Federal Bureau of investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration do in fact, share jurisdiction regarding narcotics enforcement matters.
A DEA number is a number given to health care providers, for example, medical practitioner, veterinarian, dentist, which allows them to write prescriptions for a controlled substance. The DEA number is a legal tool for the purpose of tracking controlled substances. However, typically anyone who can prescribe medication uses the DEA number as a general prescriber number that is unique.

The specifications of proper DEA number that is valid, consist of the following:

Two letters, six numbers, and one check digit.

Position number one is a letter that identifies the type the registrant.

The seven digit is used as its check sum is calculated the following way.

Add together the first, third and fifth digits.

Add together the second, fourth and sixth digits and multiply the sum by 2.

The last digit in the one’s position of this last sum is used as the seventh digit in the DEA number.

Thank you for bringing that to our attention.
We have corrected the typo in the DEA Number algorithm. Now when any pharmacy, practioner or health care provider wants to check it it will read much better.